In 1778 British Naval Captain James Cook came upon a fascinating and beautiful place that he called the Sandwich Islands. The local people called it Hawaii. Soon after that, whalers, missionaries and explorers from the United States and Europe came to the islands and brought many of their cultural ways, including the ubiquitous use of chairs. The drawing above shows a luau honoring French sailors in 1836, just 58 years after the first documented contact that Hawaiians had with Europeans. It illustrates a profound yet commonly overlooked cultural difference: Chair sitting verses floor sitting. You’ll see in the picture that almost all the people in European dress are seated on chairs and all the people in Hawaiian clothing…

For the fifth year in a row, I invite you to Kiss My Asana! The Kiss My Asana Yogathon is an opportunity for me to reflect on why and how I teach movement while raising money for Mind Body Solutions, a Minnesota based institute that is successfully helping people to transform trauma, loss and disability into hope and potential by awakening the connection between mind and body. As many of you know, I moved to Maui because of my own health issues having to do with chemical sensitivities. I’ve now been here a number of months and the fresh ocean air, along with more outdoor living is helping me tremendously. I am thrilled and grateful to be feeling better. While here, I’ve…